Scintillating sign



Sept. 11', 1928.

1 ALW. SIEVERS SGINTILL'ATING SIGN I Sept. 11, 1928.-

A. w. SIEVER S SCINTILL'ATING .SIGN

Filed Jan 24, 192 4 2 Sheets-Sheet FIIIL P Gnome Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. SIEVERS, F VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB T0 NOAH S. AMSTUTZ.

soInTILLATINe SIGN.

automatic in its operation; that is susceptible of indefinite enlargement or expansion; that is portable; that makes a minimum demand for electric current; and that on account of its extraordinary simplicity avoids the use of a driving motor, connecting gears, levers, etc.

With these and other ends in view, I illus trate in the accompanying drawingsuch instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly 1n section of an automat1c scintillating s1gn.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a specialized advertising cylinder. Y I

Fig. 3 is a reduced size elevation of a rotating cylinder surrounded by a stationary casing in section. 1

Fig. 4 is a detached elevation of a part of the stationary casing shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a reduced size planview of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the revolving sign shown in Fig. 3 combined with an individual letter cabinet.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6 showing a plurality of letter cabinets.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the sign-portion of a letter cabinet having a curved face.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a letter cabinet having a straight sign portion. I Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view partly in section of the tangential letter cabinet shown in the lower half of Fig. 7;

In practically carrying out my invention, I may use any desired type of incandescent lamp'l mounted on a suitable receptacle 2 which is secured to a base 3. An outlet 4 serves for the cord whichsupplies the electricity for the lamp and a control switch, not shown, may be connected in this cord. 'A wire or other support 5 issecured to the base 3 by means oi a foot 6. This wire is bent at its upper end so as to terminateina point 7 directly above the center of the lampl. This point *2 serves to support, the propeller t which at its center is provided with a hollow glass or other suitable bearing 8. Outside of the blades of the propeller 9 an annular rim may be formed on which the cylinder 10 is supported by its inwardly projecting flange 11. V i

The lamp 1, base 3, support 5, propeller 9, and a cylinder 10 open at the bottom, constitutes all the required elements for producing an automatic self-acting advertising device. It is no departure from my invention to make the cylinder 10 an integral or rigidly attached part of the propeller insteadof the drop on flange 11 shown in Fig. 1. The cylinder 10 may have an almost indefinite number of varying sized and shaped openings or win-.

dows formed in its wall; such for instance, as the individual letter windows 12, shown in Fig. 1, a singleletter slit and an entire word opening 21 shown in Fig. 3, or openings provided with guides 22 to receive a slip in translucent or transparent advertising tickets 23, or a large window 24 covered with a translucent material 28 shown in Fig. 2.'

- The window 24: covered by translucent material 28 may have any desired advertisement 25 printed thereon and parts of such advertisement maybe in transparent form 27. To emphasize in brilliant contrast certain portions of the advertisement, slits or transparent portions 26 maybe used. In'addt tion, small perforations l hsimilar to those.

shown in Fig. 1 as being formed in the translucent covering 13, may also be formed in the translucent covering 28. 1

The heat developed by. the lamp 1 rises upwardfthrough the open bottom of the cylinder of course that such advertisement be either in transparent or semi-transparent form.

This type of device having a single rotating cylinder is equally effective and will carry its message to any one located at any point within its circumference. Whenever it is desired to direct the advertising message in a feet circular ledge on the lna upper face. of the base 3 which serves tohold the casing concentric with the revolving cyl' inder 10. A single window 16 is formed in occurs once for each revolution of the cylin der and also once for each revolution of this cylinder the window 21 comes into posi tion so as to flash the entire word into view at one time, however, gradually bringing the light to the first letter first, and then to the second, etc, and lastly cutting ofl the light from the first letter first, gradually progressing toeach of the other letters, in this way simulating the efiect of the narrow window 20. p

Whenever it is desired tomore pronouncedly identify a single letter of a group of let ters', the expedientshown on sheetQ of the drawing, Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, may beemployed. This comprises a suitable base 29 which has a curved are 32 formed at one end in order to fit against the base 3. Fromeach end of the are 32, radial edges 33 are formed I ninety degrees from each other seats to permit a. ronping of four'individual bases, if desirec around a single rotating cylinder 10.

On the base 29 standards or supports 30 are placed. These hold the letter compartment casing 31 which is rovided with radial partitions34 that are lield in place abottom or floor'35 and a top cover 36. T e inner or small end of the cabinetterminates in close proximity to the cylinder 10', and the outer face of the cabinet is closed by atranslucent or transparent member 37 on which the individual letters are formed, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Two forms of casing 31 are sbown in Fig. 7. The one to the right of the lamp terminates in the arc of a circle While the one shown below the lamp terminates in a straight line. Any number of partitions 34 may be used within the angular range of an: 0bservers vision as may be desired, and in order 7 to make the spelling visible within the entire circumference of the cylinder 10 the four casings may be duplicates of each other. i

I Withmy form of movable advertising signs and 'the use of translucent coverings combined with transparent openings or areas there is brought about a specially attractive result, because the maximum brilliancy of the lamps will intermittently show through such openings, thus produc'ing a scintillating effect that compels attention and rivetsthe vision of an observer to themessage of theadvertisement. I do not of course limit myself to the use of the perforations in the translucent coverings where suchcoverings are placed on the cylinder 10 or the casing 15 because, if desired, this expedient may also be used in the coverings 37.

With the individualized letter cabinet, shown on sheet 2, the successive spelling of a wordis also due to the movement of the narused for a given advertisement.

It is of course obvious that'I may almost unlimitedly change the expedients I have illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is: 7

1. In scintillating signs, a. source of illumination, an enclosingcylinder-supported for rotation above the source of light,means attached to the cylinderadapted to automatically rotate the same through air currents set in motion by the radiant heat ofthesource of light, and light transmitting advertising media secured to openings in the wall of the cylinder, said media comprising relatively large translucent areas and aplurality of small openings therethrough adapted to produce sci ntillations as the cylinder is rotated.

2. In animated signs, a rotatable cylinder, a

source of light within the same, and light transmitting media having contrasting symbols formed thereon of relatively large trans luccnt areas and having a'plurality of small perforations therethrough said media being adapted to'cover openings formed in the wall of the cylinderthe perforations permitting rays to pass therethrough from the source of that by confining'tlie luminosity belight-in a scintillating manner as the cylinder rotates.

'3. In scintillating signs, a rotatable cylinder, a suitable support therefor, a source of thermal luminosity withinthe cylinder, means attached to the cylinder-adapted to be set into motion by the thermal radiations of the source of illumination, and means carried by the cylinder comprising translucent areas in the form of arbitrary symbols or letters of relativelylarge area for, transmitting a portion of the'luminosity and having a plurality of very small transparent-areas conformingto the shape of the symbols adapted to makethe :luminosity within the cylinder visible in a scintillating manner.

4'. A displaysign comprising a plurality of contrasting symbols such as letters etc. formed on a translucent field surrounded by an opaque area said symbols having a plurality of very small transparent areas grouped to conform to the shape of the symbols means for maintaining a source of luminosity on one side of said areas, and means for producing movement between the luminous source and the symbols so as to project luminous rays through the very small transparent areas which through the movement between the source of luminosity and the letter areas produces a scintillating attention attracting effect.

5. An automatically movable sign for displaying characters or symbols comprising a source of illumination, a rotating opaque enclosure therefor, a plurality of translucently formed letter areas on the enclosure said translucent portions only transmitting a part of the luminosity and havinga plurality of smaller openings formed Within the body of the letters or symbols, and means for rotating the enclosure by the radiant heat of the source of illumination so as to produce attention attracting scintillations of light through the openings in contrast to the subdued lumi nosity coming through the translucent portions.

6. In automaticsigns, a source of illumination, an opaque enclosure therefor formed in the shape of a tube or cylinder provided with a plurality of semi-transparent letters or symbols Within its Wall each semi-transparent area having a plurality of small transparent areas'or openings grouped to conform to the shape of the letters or symbols, and means for rotating the encloure around the source of illumination to thereby continuously and successively bring into scintillating visibility the transparent areas in contrast With the semitransparent shapes of the letters or symbols throughout an entire rotation of the enclosure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR W. SIEVERS. 

